In response to the question of the movie getting better with a second view... I can say that yes, it does. Err, well.. it did for me. I saw it again this afternoon with my boyfriend after being part of the very first screening in my area on Wednesday. I really enjoy this film, though I think if I had to descibe it in one word, I would call it, "uneven."
I went in prepared to be quite disappointed- I bought the soundtrack the day it came out and was completely underwhelmed by both Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. In fact, for my first viewing on Wednesday I was so focused on the vocals, (did anyone else who knows the score get nervous when you knew a big note was coming up? "Ooo. Here it comes. Can he hold it?... Ooof.") that I think I tuned out a lot that was *good* in the film. I still loved it... I just became absorbed in my own little singing-only world. For instance, I totally missed the fact that the Phantom had a wig, (hense the BIG change in hair when he's unmasked- which other people noted here).
Second viewing I just sat back and decided to fully enjoy what I DID love the first time... and give the other stuff a second chance. Emmy's voice actually isn't as bad as I thought it was the first time- she has a tendency to SWOOP up to notes which grates on my nerves, but she also has some chillingly GOOD moments too- that little growl in "Point of No Return" was REALLY awesome. Gerard, as others have noted, is a rock and roll singer... which shows. But just listening to the soundtrack and passing judgement on him based solely on that isn't fair. His acting is PHENOMINAL. By the end where the Phantom has been reduced to a shell of the imposing shadowy menace he once was and is left staring forlornly in to the face of the music box monkey, I was crying. "Christine, I love you." really seems to come from somewhere deep. Match up the singing with the acting and it makes a lot more sense. Sure, he has his rather extremely FLAT moments when he's singing... (am I crazy, or did they do something to fix the climax note in "Music of the Night" for the theaters?? It sounds MUCH different from my soundtrack. Digital pitch correction, maybe?) Overall, though, he really impressed me.
A couple little things- There's a moment in the Phantom's lair where Raoul is tied to the grating with the Phantom holding the noose around his neck. His head swivvels wildly while singing. I dunno what it was, but I actually LAUGHED rather inappropriately. Perhaps it's because Patrick Wilson's head does this ODD thing and both men just seem to be set on over-emote. It was the only 'bad acting' moment for me... my boyfriend looked at me like I was nuts for laughing. Watching it a second time didn't help it for me. I STILL found it amusing.
((And on a side note... I've decided to stop lurking and actually join the board! *waves to everyone*))
*~* Every time you double-post, God kills a kitten. *~*
Kay, the Thread-Jacking Jedi
Quando omni flunkus moritati (When all else fails, play dead...)
"... chasin' the music. Trying to get home."
Peter Gregus: "Where are my house right ladies?!"
(love you, girls! - 6/13/06)
) say it's because she's in a trance when she's with the POTO. Fair enough I say, but it seemed that was her ONLY expression aside from the part where she looks mildly frightened after ripping off the Phantom's mask the first time.
